Generally, most currency processing machines used in banks and retail environments either process currency bills or count coins, but not both. One type of machine that does process both coins and currency bills is a redemption type of machine for exchanging bulk coins and currency bills for larger denomination currency bills. These machines can be found in a casino environment, for example. However, these are typically higher-end machines that are expensive and quite large, occupying a lot of floor space.
In other environments, including banks and casinos, the currency bills and coins are processed by two different devices. For example, a currency bill processing machine may be used to process the currency bills, while a coin processing device may be used to process the coins. Coin counters, coin sorters, and coin scales are examples of devices used to process coins. Use of a coin scale requires that the coins be sorted before using the coin scale as coin scales are capable of only processing one coin denomination at a time. Nevertheless, two separate machines are generally used to process currency bills and coins.
One drawback associated with using two separate machines—a currency bill processing device and a coin processing device—is the increased floor or counter space that accompanies the use of two separate machines. Another drawback associated with the use of two separate machines for processing currency bills and coins is that an operator processing the currency has to manually add, or at least manually enter, the totals from the coin and currency bill processing—a process that carries with it the potential for human error. Furthermore, manual entry adds to the overall time in which it takes to process the coins and currency bills. Therefore, a need exists for a small, compact, and inexpensive currency processing system that reduces the time required to process currency bills and coins.